Hawaiian

10 minutes ago, swissie said:

Truly, the amount of fraud is unbelievable. Just think of all the international corporations that are allowed to pay their taxes in some exotic islands. Practically paying no taxes.

 

Therefore, I would support any effort that all employees of McDonald would be allowed to pay their taxes in the Cayman Islands.

Yes, it is unconscionable that the tax loopholes exist.  The Citizens United decision has made it all the more difficult to fix.  Tons of money fighting change.

Rather doubt it if front line McDonald's workers would pay any federal income taxes and most likely little or no state income taxes.  However, I see the point you make.

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Currently, humanity has warmed the oceans by 1.1 degrees C. That number might sound insignificant, but represents an unimaginable amount of energy.

 

The Tsar Bomba is the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by man. It released an estimated 210 petajoules of energy.

 

To warm the oceans by 1 degree C requires 5,730,000 petajoules, or approximately 273,000 Tsar Bombas.

 

I haven't done the math, but I am guessing the result of warming the oceans by one more degree would result in winds of 300-500 km/hr.

Appreciate your information.  The fact is the situation is not only due to climate change, but also to building in areas that are prone to wildfires.  Similar to building next to a shoreline prone to damaging high surf.  The insurance companies know this, hence ridiculously high premiums, cancellations or no available coverage.

23 minutes ago, swissie said:

And more millions that need "food-stamps" to keep them from starving.

 

This is not happening in Sudan or Eastern Timbuku, this is happening in the richest country of the world.

The sad thing about food stamps is some of the things it covers, like soft drinks, sugar laden candy and cookies, etc. Before the advent of EBT cards, food stamps were traded like currency to buy illegal drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

Medical insurance is another area where there is so much waste.  People going to the doctor for minor ailments because they have cheap or free medical insurance.

Also the amount of fraud is unbelievable.

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I make no claim to expertise on the economy, I do listen to those that are experts. The one that I agree the most with was that too much money is made without creating anything at all eg Amazon, which makes nothing, and just bypasses buying from a business, Google, Facething and the other ones that create nothing except a means to steal copyright intellectual property, and bully people on line.

 

I suspect that when the crash happens, it's going to affect corporations like them the most- if people have no money they ain't buying anything on line, and they won't be able to afford to go on line anyway.

 

As always, my opinion.

I agree.  Businesses with few tangible assets are risky long term investments.  Things like good will or a large listening audience can disappear overnight.  Yet some banks loan money based on them.

45 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Despite my opinion on dole bludgers, I am a socialist and I believe that government should serve the people, and not the people serving the government and rich people.

I think that everyone ( except criminals ) deserves to have a decent life, provided they contribute as much as they can. Having a decent place to live does not mean a mansion- a state house is enough, and they should be able to eat enough and access health care. If society can't provide that, far as I'm concerned it's a rotten society.

Countries with large populations  and diverse ethnicities usually have difficulty in providing the society many wish for.

And the form of government may not always be the answer.

9 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

Cut the military,over 150 overseas bases, 50,000 people in Okinawa . Is the US that insecure it thinks they need all these. The war has been over 80 years and they still have soldiers in Germany, the Russians went home years ago.

The Russians went home only to send 410,000 of their troops to Ukraine and another 60,000 to occupied territories.

5 hours ago, candide said:

He asked about:

how much the U.S. contributes in aid to illegal immigrants, the U.N. and its many agencies, and international disaster relief,

 

If you are not happy with it, I am sorry. Have a try by yourself.

Read my post again.  I intentionally placed a comma between U.S. aid to illegal immigrants and contributions to the U.N. and it's agencies. 

I appreciate your attempt, but it does not furnish where probably most of the money is spent.

5 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

Where does funding for illegals, refugees, and asylum seekers fit in that chart? That was the biggest component of what he was asking about.

Thanks.  I did not get a chance to checkout the figures.

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

A "fireproof roof" probably helped, but I'm puzzled that Americans apparently have flammable roofs. I've never seen a roof that wasn't fireproof, but I haven't been to the US. Obviously they do things differently there.

There are all types of roofing in the U.S.  Wood shingles and shakes are popular in some parts of the country.  They are very flammable unless treated with a fire retardant.  Same thing with old houses with asphalt shingles. Think tar paper shacks. If you like the looks of a "shingled" roof,  ceramic tile and slate are much, much better options.

Then there are various types of metal roofs in various patterns.  Most common are corrugated and standing seam.

As a general contractor in Hawaii I built homes with most of what I listed, except for slate.

Just now, Jingthing said:

More rights than you do? Garbage lie. 

Come back when you've digested basic facts. 

Sorry, I don't eat the crap you dish out.

10 minutes ago, jas007 said:

Yep.  She usually speaks her mind.  Mostly, it's funny. 

And nutty.

30 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Oh no. LGBTQ civil rights. So nonproductive. Do you consider yourself SUPERIOR to such minority groups? In general maga people do. 

They have no more rights than I do, so why should they deserve special recognition?

Some of my best friends are gays and lesbians and they don't flaunt it.  Two of my best tenants are lesbians with whom I have more than tenant/landlord relationship.  In fact I will be visiting them tomorrow with a few gifts.  My girlfriend, who happens to be Thai, also thinks they are great people.  She would be joining me also if she didn't have to work.

You need to stop insinuating that I am a maga person because I don't subscribe to your warped agenda.  Go preach your garbage to some one else.

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

The article I was referring to has nothing to do with MTG.  I'm not sure what her theories are on the whole thing.  Sometimes she seems to be nuts, but I like her just because she's good at stirring up trouble.  Sometimes, that's a good thing.  Calling into question mainstream beliefs to allow for more discussion. 

Do you mean comments like these?     https://www.newsweek.com/majorie-taylor-greenes-most-outrageous-quotes-this-year-1769407 

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Very hard to have any regard for, nor any consideration of the words of an insane, unhinged, fairly dim witted, and very hateful person like MTG.

You described her with language I would like to use but refrain from using.

14 minutes ago, Nid_Noi said:

When you pay the insane amount of realty taxes, municipal, state and federal taxes Californians pay each year and you can’t get decent police and fire prevention services you are entitled to some explanations from your local politicians.

 

At least a Texan was smart enough to show how to prevent his Malibu Beach to be consumed to the ground.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14272575/trash-tycoon-david-steiner-reveals-malibu-house-survived-la-fires.html?ito=email_share_article-floatingBar

Quite similar to the house with the red roof that was unscathed in the 2023 Lahaina fire.  NOTE:  see my exchange of posts with member jas007.

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

 

 

Presenting a budget to the state legislature is quite different than managing  a specific infrastructure and local resources. The state legislators approve or amend the budget. The counties and municipalities oversee the local budgets and the management of local facilities. As previously stated, the CalFire budget was increased $150 million for 2023-2024. The small budget change for 2024-2025 was in effect the  spreading of disbursements over 5 years instead of 4, as the money would still be spent. Even if there had been $500 million extra to spend, it would not have helped with this fire.

 

Governor Newsom is being blamed for events that were beyond anyone's control. I was watching an ABC news report 15 minutes ago where they were interviewing one of the local fire chiefs, and he pointed out the following when asked what they could have done to  control the fires better. He  stated some things that are not being mentioned by the finger pointers;

- The wind storm was hurricane force and never  encountered to this extent before;

- The leakage from the water supply system  impacted the availability of water.  The "leakage" was from the private fire suppression systems that are hooked up to the public water pipes. Many houses have their own sprinkler systems. They all went into operation and bled off  critical water supplies.

 

And most interesting of all was the mention of why a 170 million gallon reservoir was empty: Despite the claims of the conspiracy promoters, the reservoir was undergoing needed repairs to  ensure its operation including the  sealing of leaks and the repairs of the pumping and supply infrastructure. No one is mentioning the reason  why the reservoir is dry, but they are blaming "politicians" for not having it filled. Well, you can't use a reservoir if it is leaking and can't pump or manage its water reserve. This is why it was being repaired, and was publicly declared.

Notice I said influence, not power or authority.  He seems able to wield his influence on things like illegal immigration, leniency on criminals, LGBTQ rights and other measures that have cost the state billions of dollars in nonproductive (for lack of a better word) programs.

36 minutes ago, jas007 said:

Basically, it's an article about two fire experts and what they think could have prevented the fires.  They emphasized the need for proper forest management techniques, better building materials, and the fact that while very high winds no doubt contributed to the severity of the fires and that containment of the fires might have been an exercise in futility once they became widespread, proper management of the brush and so on might have stopped some of the fires from starting in the first place.  That's just basic stuff.  Basic precautions. Do what can be done and do it diligently.  Fires will happen periodically, as they always do, but basic precautions must be maintained. 

Same thing with Lahaina.  https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/10/maui-report-on-2018-lahaina-fire-failed-to-address-issues-that-reappeared-five-years-later/

One thing we have learned from history is that we have not learned from history.

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

This is an interesting article:

 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-11/fire-experts-asses-los-angeles-blazes-amid-changing-times

Link has a paywall.  However, another LA Times story mentions Majorie Taylor Green's comment about lasers from outer space starting the Camp Fire and another one, from another source, about the Lahaina Fire being started by something similar.  I don't give much credence to anything MTG says.

1 hour ago, jas007 said:

I don't doubt that it's called a "conspiracy theory."  However, that doesn't mean it's not true. Do you need examples? 

I don't recall any houses with blue roofs that survived the Lahaina Fire, but here is one with a red roof.  https://www.npr.org/2023/08/24/1195331310/red-roof-house-fires-lahaina-hawaii

Would be nice if you have any examples.

15 hours ago, jas007 said:

Today I saw a picture online of a totally burned out house in California, and in front of one was a blue shoe in the driveway that survived the blaze, apparently unscathed.  And that got me thinking.  That and the fact that I've seen other posts about strange flashes of light over the fires. Directed energy weapons to deliberately start the fires? 

 

Think back to the fire in Maui.  In the fall of 2023, I believe.  Anyway, remember all the houses with blue roofs that survived the fire?  In perfect shape while the houses all around in every direction were destroyed.  Even Biden knew about the blue roof thing when asked.  I got the feeling he spoke when he should have kept his mouth shut. 

 

Is it more than a coincidence? They never did truly get to the bottom of what happed in Maui back then, and there were more than a few clues pointing to something other than natural causes.  Directed energy weapons being tested out on prime real estate after a weather modification experiment?  The government is capable of both, no doubt.  Lots of pole would like to ge tiheir hands on prime Maui real estate, cheap.

 

Fast forward to the current California fires.  The same kind of freak winds.  Prime real estate.  And I'm sure lots of people will be standing in line to buy it cheap, once the dust settles.  Many were uninsured.  Billions in uninsured losses so far, and the fires are ongoing.  

Another conspiracy theory.  https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/10/the-verdict-is-in-maui-blames-wildfire-on-downed-powerline/

47 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There is alot of politicized ignorance on this thread, from the usual suspects. 

 

Absolutely zero connection with the reservoirs upstate. Just a biased, tired, untruthful political meme.

 

The real story?
Officials now say the storage tanks that hold water for high-elevation areas like the Highlands, and the pumping systems that feed them, could not keep pace with the demand as the fire raced from one neighborhood to another. That was in part because those who designed the system did not account for the stunning speeds at which multiple fires would race through the Los Angeles area this week.

“We are looking at a situation that is just completely not part of any domestic water system design,” said Marty Adams, a former general manager and chief engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which is responsible for delivering water to nearly four million residents of Los Angeles.

 

Municipal water systems are designed for firefighters to tap into multiple hydrants at once, allowing them to maintain a steady flow of water for crews who may be trying to protect a large structure or a handful of homes. But these systems can buckle when wildfires, such as those fueled by the dry brush that surrounds Los Angeles’s hillside communities, rage through entire neighborhoods.

If you don't have an excuse, find one.  If you can't find one, invent one.

On 1/8/2025 at 7:42 PM, Patong2021 said:

 

More lies and dishonesty from Trump. Maintaining an aquatic ecosystem was also about replenishing the aquifer and  responding to the demands of homeowners and recreational uses. The water was being used to meet the basic needs of citizens. NYPost offered its biased interpretation.

 

You left out the most ignorant part of the article;

Trump has long supported diverting supply from California’s main water hub, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, to farmers who have sturggled with repeated droughts.

 

The farmers have wasted the water on crops unsuitable for the region. They have been told for decades that the crops need to be changed to  vegetation appropriate for  drought prone regions. The agricultural  corporations  have fought against that and instead want water diverted from millions of residents to support their profit making enterprises.P hey refuse to cover water routes which see large amounts of the water lost to evaporation. The large companies profits benefit large multinationals and not the millions of people who live in California.

So you are claiming that Gavin Newsom has no influence over water conservation.  Funny how he manages to get everything else done, including funding all sorts of benefits for illegal aliens.